ZEN TOOLBOX: First concept for the ZEN Toolbox for use in the development of Zero Emission Neighbourhoods

This memo presents a first draft of a concept for the ZEN toolbox, which should be used as a basis for further discussion and joint development with the other work packages. This concept is based on the results of the first year of work within work package 1.3 in the ZEN research Centre. This first concept should be understood as a starting point for discussion and as a basis for further development, with input from all the ZEN working packages and partners. The memo is one output from WP 1.3, in parallel with a report by Baer (2019) entitled ‘Tools for Stakeholder Engagement in Zero Emission Neighbourhood developments. Mapping of tools in use in Trondheim, Steinkjer, Elverum and Bodø.’ In addition, a draft report has been prepared by Houlihan Wiberg (2018) entitled ‘Architectural and Urban Tools for Planning and Design in ZEN. ‘State of the art’ planning and design tools for use in the ZEN pilot projects.’ Houlihan Wiberg and Baer prepared the draft report and the stakeholder memo independently, and this memo brings together and draws upon the findings of their previous work in a joint vision for the development of a user-centred architectural and urban toolbox for design and planning, operation and monitoring of a ZEN. In this joint memo, a broad conceptual framework for the development of the ZEN Toolbox is presented. The concept is such that the toolbox should contain, at its core, a set of technical and non-technical tools for use in the planning, design, and monitoring of a ZEN according to the demand for diverse tools and approaches within the ZEN pilot projects and amongst the ZEN partners. The framework for the ZEN toolbox presents the connection to the ZEN Definition, categories, and KPIs and later describes the interconnection with other parameters which influence the use and application of the toolbox.
The design of the framework for the toolbox is deliberately broad and flexible, so that other tools currently being developed in the other work packages can be easily accommodated within the framework of the toolbox. Some of these tools will be developed within the ZEN Centre, whilst others are already in use in practice. An example of how selected tools may be integrated into the toolbox, together with an example of a user scenario, is described in the memo. Future work will identify the most promising tools, including both those currently being developed within ZEN and those made by others, in order to make a more detailed analysis of expected tool usage and their inherent, associated challenges. This is needed in order to decide which tools need to be used and developed in the ZEN Centre and other related projects to assess a ZEN. This work will be coordinated with WP1.1, whose focus is on ZEN KPIs and data management as well as on the ICT architecture. This work will be coordinated with specific work packages to give an overview of the most relevant tools to be included in the core of the ZEN toolbox. The framework for the ZEN Toolbox should support and be usable by all the work packages and for use in the implementation of the pilot projects.